Wedding Wednesday just got sweeter with a beautiful love story of Mr. & Mrs. Maynor. I believe this is the first wedding we’ve introduced where the bride and groom proposed to each other, very unique! This couple went against many of the traditional norms of pre and post wedding society and our parents instilled in us. Which is one of the reason why, I truly enjoyed reading the details of the Maynor’s wedding day and I’m sure you will too. Let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

We Proposed To Each Other | Non Traditional Wedding

1. Describe Your Wedding Day Hairstyle:

My wedding day hair style, much like my actual wedding, was split into a two-day affair–for the first day I sported a more serious look, one worthy of the momentous occasion at City Hall that followed. And for the reception on day two, I let my hair down so to speak, with a more playful look that let the curls out on the loose! For both looks, I went with a less-is-more-approach, treating and prepping my hair to an absolute minimum; even for this special day(s), I didn’t veer away from my everyday hair care routine.

I washed and conditioned my hair myself with DevaCurl low-poo and conditioner, wrang it out with a silk scarf to protect my curls against frizz, spritzed my hair with DevaCurl curl activator for sheen, and let it air dry. By the time my hairdressor Kia (@kiafaystyles) arrived, my hair was dry and ready to be pinned. Kia parted my natural hair and tied it into sections, braiding, twisting and pinning my hair as it grew into a knot on top of my head. At the time, my hair was still pretty short from having committed to a big chop just two years earlier, so she used a black sock to give my top knot more volume. The next day she did exactly the same style, leaving my curly bang out to achieve more of a party look (sans sock). My hair was done within an hour, it required absolutely no upkeep for the rest of the day, was unaffected by wind and other factors, and remained stress-free and beautiful all day. It was such a relief to have one less thing to worry about!

2. What helped you make the decision to wear your naturally curly hair on your wedding day? Did you receive any positive or negative feedback from family and friends?

For my entire life my hair had been permed, processed, damaged, burned and unhealthy. I got so tired of the constant maintenance, straightening and relaxing, that I shaved my head and started fresh. Once my natural curls started to shine through, they were so beautiful and healthy I vowed never to damage my hair again. The decision to go natural for my wedding day was less of a decision and more of maintaining and believing in a healthy hair lifestyle.

At one point during our reception, a close male friend of mine told me that I looked radiant and that most of all he loved how natural my hair and make-up was. He followed the compliment by explaining his experience at weddings, finding that the brides wore so much make-up and were so overdone, that they hardly resembled themselves. It was very important for me to know for myself that I am beautiful and what I do should only add to that natural beauty, not disguise it.

3. How did you meet your husband?

My husband and I met my very first day in the Bay Area; we both worked together at the San Francisco Jazz Festival (SFJAZZ). Once we discovered we were both huge jazz lovers, and realized how closely our musical tastes aligned, our love began to bloom out of our mutual love for music.

4. How did he propose?

We both decided together that we wanted to get married. We exchanged words that expressed those sentiments and gave each other engagement rings. We were non-traditional in this way, much like in the many ways that detailed our wedding day!

5. Wedding details: Date | Colors | Theme

We had a fall wedding in September with a seasonal theme for colors. He and I both wore bold outfits, Ash in a burntorange Paul Smith suit and cuff links, tuxedo shirt and Fluevog metallic brogues. I donned a low-cut, tea-length dress from the Milly collection at Neiman Marcus, one that was sure to show-off the pieces from my tattoo collection, Prada block-heels, and a simple birdcage veil to adorn my curly crown. I created my bridal bouquet and Ash’s boutonniere from flowers I purchased at the local Oakland flower market. Many of our friends helped supply wine, food and art for the reception. All of our vendors were friends based in the community and gave the occasion a very “block party” vibe. One of our fondest memories of the day is our dear friend who doubled as my hair and make-up artist, Kia Fay Styles, whisking us away to the ceremony in “The Love Limo” (her decorated Prius), while Ash and I sat in the back seat passing a pre-ceremony bottle of champagne. Having our close friends taking care of us on our wedding day made it so meaningful!

6. How did you know he was your soul mate?

Before Ash and I were dating, I pursued him romantically pretty tirelessly. There were a few factors that hindered him from entering into a relationship with me (we worked together being the primary reason), so he and I remained work friends. One particular week at work we were all preparing for a big gala fundraising event that was to take place in the next few weeks. As we talked over email chat one day, he said goodbye and let me know he was leaving early to go suit shopping for the gala event. I remember feeling a little disappointed that he hadn’t invited me to help him with the task. A few hours later, my roommate came to pick me up from work so we could carpool home. He asked if we could stop by Zara to pick up a suit he had pre-ordered that day online. I immediately sent Ash a text: Looks like we’re both going suit shopping today!

Once we arrived at Zara, the men’s department was empty, all but the two of us. My roommate retrieved his pre-ordered suit from behind the menswear department counter and went into a dressing room to try it on. I stood alone in the store, posted outside of the dressing rooms waiting for him to emerge in his new suit for approval. After about 5 minutes, a dressing room door opened. I remember an overwhelming feeling of fear and fate as Ash stepped out of the dressing room and faced me. This was kismet. I felt certain from that moment forward that he was supposed to be someone in my life. There was something bigger than both of us, drawing us together, forcing our paths to cross. It was a very poignant moment.

7. Any tips you would give to the naturalista on the fence about wearing her curls on her wedding day?

What better time to not fear rain, wind or humidity than on your wedding day? Wearing your hair natural has the potential to limit a beauty disaster, prevents the necessity for constant upkeep, and allows you to worry about one less thing on a day that is jam-packed full of things to worry about! Don’t let anything or anyone dictate how you express yourself or what your beauty should look like.

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Natural Hair Bride, strategically curated by Ro'Shunda Russell in 2013, is one of the fastest growing, socially driven online wedding publication in our niche. We exclusively inspire trend setting, beauty conscious brides with wedding inspiration that relates to their image.
When she's not indulged in wedding bliss, Ro'Shunda spends time with family, friends, her adorable son and highschool sweetheart hubby in their Chicago home. You may find our family travel blog via: TravelWithTheRussells.com
Contact: Info@NaturalHairBride.com

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Natural Hair Bride is a manifestation of my trials as a bride to be nearly 4 years ago. I struggled with deciding whether to wear a weave or my natural curls to say I-Do. Without many style options and resources available, I turned to a straight weave and later regretted the decision. Read More.

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